Shari Randall's"Pets" will be included in Chesapeake Crimes: Fur, Feathers, and Felonies anthology, which will be published in 2018. In the same anthology "Rasputin," KM Rockwood'sshort story, will also bepublished. Her short story "Goldie" will be published in the Busted anthology, which will be released by Level Best Books on April 25th.

Shari Randall's second Lobster Shack Mystery, Against the Claw, will be available in August, 2018.

In addition, our prolific KMhas had the following shorts published as well: "Making Tracks" in Passport to Murder, Bouchercon anthology, October 2017 and "Turkey Underfoot," appears in the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

An Interview with Annette Dashofy By E. B. Davis

But it didn’t feel
right. Instead of continuing her examination of the victim’s

skull, she slipped a
hand into his shirt, resting her palm against Dale’s chest.

It reminded her of a
chunk of meat fresh out of the refrigerator....

“…He shouldn’t be
this cold this fast.”

Annette Dashofy, No Way Home, Kindle Loc. 349

Released by Henery Press yesterday, No Way Home is the fifth book of
Annette Dashofy’s Zoe Chambers mystery series. Circle of Influence, the first book in the series was nominated
for an Agatha Best First Award and was a finalist in the 2014 David Award. The
third book, Bridges Burned, was
nominated for the Best Contemporary Novel Agatha Award last year. I’ve
previously interviewed Annette for WWK because her series is one of my
favorites due to her characters and the contemporary topics she engages.

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/heroin.html/

In No Way Home, Annette focuses on two issues, heroin/meth fatal
overdoses, a national problem, and the other, natural gas drilling, a regional
problem occurring in southwestern Pennsylvania, the setting of this series.
Rather than reiterate all the heroin problem data, the chart (left) says it
all. From 2013-2017, the statistics worsen.

In the counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania there are sixty-six companies
operating almost eight thousand natural gas drilling wells. Violations of EPA
regulations have occurred over four thousand times. These companies have been
fined over six million dollars, which proves the profitability of drilling. But
for every violation, there are environmental impacts that can never restore the
environment to its previously pristine state. After looking at all the data,there
can be no doubt of Annette’s murdermotive.

Please welcome Annette Dashofy to WWK.E. B. Davis

What is Marcellus Shale?

I’m no geologist, but in a
nutshell, it’s a deep formation of shale rich in natural gas. This formation
lies far beneath the surface and stretches across Pennsylvania and West
Virginia. My county here in southwestern Pennsylvania was home to some of the
first deep gas wells tapping into it. When it was first being talked about,
area farmers anticipated becoming the next Saudi Arabia wealthwise.

Why do they call the extraction process “fracking,”
and what are its environmental effects?

“Fracking” is a slang term for “hydraulic
fracturing,” the process in which huge quantities of water are forced into the
wells to break up the shale and release the gas. The environmental impact is
still yet to be determined, I think. There have been reports of water sources
being contaminated, and the landscape definitely changes when the drillers move
in. I’ve been in the middle of this for a while. I try to be very
environmentally conscientious, but yes, I leased our rights to the drillers and
have wells all around me. My proximity to the industry and my love of my farm
gave me what I think is a unique opportunity to explore and understand both
sides of the issues.

What does “cardiac whiplash” mean?

Ha! That’s a term I made up. When I was researching
the influx of meth into our area, which has always had a high rate of heroin
usage among addicts, I wanted to know the effects of the different drugs. Meth
is a stimulant, speeding up the heart. Heroin is a depressant, slowing the
heart rate and respiration. Taken together, the drugs send the body totally
different signals. Someone who has taken heroin first, may be too “out of it”
to realize the trouble they’re in when the meth kicks in. NOT some of the most
fun research I’ve done.

I’m sure you consider the positions of all your
characters when you plot. How did you decide the victim should be a county
commissioner instead of a PA Environmental Protection Agency official, or
someone else?

To the best of my knowledge, the
state EPA doesn’t have much to say about individual municipalities granting
permits to drill. They approve the process or are called in if there’s a
problem. But around here, the debate has been more localized in the township
and county governments. One township might give the drilling companies the
greenlight, while their neighbors refuse. That was the angle I chose to
explore. Plus there had been some local politcians going to extremes to sway
popular opinion their way. It got nasty at times!

In PA, is the decision to approve gas drilling done
on the county level? I thought the PA Department of Environmental Protection
would have that authority.

Not really. Their own website states they provide
oversight and guidance. They would step in if there was damage to the
environment, but it’s the local governments that decide yes or no to allowing
drilling.

Everyone questions Zoe’s timing of the murder,
including her. But she knows the time it takes a horse to get to the crime
scene and get back. I kept thinking they would discover the body had been
stream-chilled and moved, but that wasn’t the case. So, something delayed the
horse’s return to the barn. In all the scenarios, Zoe never questions the
horse’s actions and reliability. Why?

Zoe knows the horse in question. All horses are
herd animals. Being alone terrifies them because, in their mind, there are
dangers everywhere. This horse was even more “barn sour” than most, plus his
stable buddy was back in his stall. Zoe also knows the trails and knows how
long it takes to get from point A to point B. Farm girl logic!

What does DA Fratini have against Pete Adams? I
could understand why the DA would appoint another county’s detective, Wayne
Baronick, to head up the heroin/meth deaths because he heads up a drug task
force, but why would he put Baronick in charge of Pete’s homicide case?

DA Fratini is a by-the-books type, and Pete’s
tendency to do whatever it takes (within reason) gets on his last nerve. He’s
given Pete a lot of leeway in the past, but he’s definitely more comfortable
with Wayne overseeing Pete’s actions and the case. Plus the county police has
more manpower and better facilities to deal with a high-profile murder case
than does Pete’s small department.

After Bridges Burned, the Krolls, the old couple who own the farm and
barn, which Zoe manages and provides stable fees from horse owners, move to a
mobile home on their land. They are pro-drilling. After careful stewardship of
the farmland, why would they allow natural gas drilling on their land?

Money. I’ve witnessed this happen all around me.
Farming is hard work with low pay. The younger generation doesn’t want to stick
around and break their backs for nothing, so farms fall into disrepair as the
older generation ages and can’t keep up. Such is the case with the Krolls and
many of their neighbors. The idea of making sometimes millions for simply
signing their names is looked at as a godsend.

Zoe is still homeless after a fire at the farmhouse
she rented. Why is she sleeping at the ambulance garage?

Poor Zoe has been bumping around from one friend’s
couch to another for a while now. She’d ended up at her ambulance crew
partner’s house, but his kids and dog and all the normal hubbub of family life
drove her to bunk at the garage just to get some sleep!

After the owners are contacted, the police don’t
approach “the Fort,” a very private residence, even though they know it is
being illegally occupied by suspected drug dealers. Why?

Legalities. They didn’t have enough probable cause
for a search warrant and until they did, they were limited to keeping an eye on
the place.

Zoe’s “best friend” Rose doesn’t seem to appreciate
her. Rose never asks—she insists—pressing her own agenda on Zoe. Of course, Zoe
wants to help, but can’t Rose be more thankful?

These two have been like sisters and they bicker
and get on each other’s nerves like only sisters can do. Zoe loves Rose and her
kids dearly and would do anything for them. Rose knows this. Plus Rose has been
under more stress since losing her husband than Zoe realizes. Rose really does
appreciate Zoe’s help. She just doesn’t show it very well.

Why do fathers and sons have so much conflict? Is
it classic rebellion?

Family tensions always play a part in my stories. I
love exploring father/son, father/daughter, mother/daughter, and sibling
relationships. As for fathers and sons, yes, it’s age-old alpha male
stuff.Fathers want their sons to follow
in their footsteps. Sons want to find their own way.

What are Navajo tacos?

They’re made with the standard taco fillings of
meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc. But instead of the crispy tortilla shell,
the fillings are piled on a piece of Indian Frybread, which is a flat (but
thicker than a tortilla) piece of bread dough, fried or deep fried. Confession
time: I’m not that crazy about them, but I seem to be in the minority!

What are you working on?

I’m currently writing the sixth installment,
tentatively titled Uneasy Prey, which
keeps Pete and Zoe closer to home and dealing with the tragic death of an
elderly neighbor who had been confronted by a crew of home-invading con men.
Plus some characters from earlier books, who have been missing from the last
few, will be returning to the pages! I’ve also signed a contract with my
publisher, Henery Press, for books 7, 8, 9, and 10!

What’s next on your schedule?

I have some fun events lined up locally to promote No Way Home. I’m once again attending
Malice Domestic in Bethesda, Maryland in late April. And I’m the Saturday
luncheon keynote speaker for this year’s Pennwriters Conference in May!

No Way Home Synopsis

A relaxing trail ride turns tragic when Paramedic
and Deputy Coroner Zoe Chambers discovers the body of a popular county
commissioner in her Pennsylvania woods. Inconsistencies surround the horrible
“accident,” but before she can investigate further, she’s pried away by a plea
for help from her best friend whose son has been deemed a person of interest in
a homicide over a thousand miles away. When he vanishes without a trace, his
mother begs Zoe to help clear him and bring him safely home. The task takes Zoe
out of her comfort zone in a frantic trip to the desolate canyons and bluffs of
New Mexico where she joins forces with the missing boy’s sister and a
mysterious young Navajo.

Back at home, Vance Township’s Chief of Police Pete
Adams must deal not only with the commissioner’s homicide, but with an influx
of meth and a subsequent rash of drug overdoses in his rural community. Bodies
keep turning up while suspects keep disappearing. However little else matters
when he learns that half a continent away, a brutal killer has Zoe in his
sights.

E. B., heroin is relatively cheap, at least around here. But it's also being cut with other drugs these days to give a bigger high. But the drugs (fentanyl being one of the main ones) are even more powerful and more dangerous. The dealers providing this stuff aren't exactly particular about getting the dosage right.

This is one of those topics where I learned a LOT more than I used in the story.

Annette:For some reason I got the dates mixed up, and I thought the newest book wouldn't be out until May. I was so excited to get an email from Henery Press announcing that it's HERE! Can't wait to get it!

So envious you are going to Malice this year. Hope to pull it off next year. Maybe I'll get to meet you. This was a very interesting interview and sounds like you are on your way to more and more successes